


Our Future

by Mischel



Series: Merlin Memory Month 2019 [8]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Gen, Homophobia, Love Wins, M/M, Merlin Memory Month, POV Arthur, Protective Arthur, fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-10 05:18:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18932050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mischel/pseuds/Mischel
Summary: Arthur is challenged by one of his knights who doesn't agree with his choice to be with Merlin. Arthur accepts the challenge. #LoveWins





	Our Future

**Author's Note:**

> I passed the exam! Thanks for wishing me good luck, haha, clearly it worked! :D Anyway, here's another fanfic in this series. It's probably less interesting than the previous one, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway :)
> 
> PROMPT DAY 7  
> Path 1 - Love wins  
> Path 2 - Emotion/Mood/Aesthetic: Calm  
> Path 3 - A challenge accepted / a challenge refused
> 
> \- I used the prompt "love wins" and "a challenge accepted"

The gauntlet landed at Arthur's feet and at that point, there was only one thing left to do.

He picked it up.

This wasn't the first time that Arthur had to fight for his love, but the last time he did that, he was under the influence of a spell. This time, it wasn't a princess whose father he had to fight, this time it was true love – he really did love Merlin. And it was this love and the promise of a good future of their kingdom that made him pick up the gauntlet and accept the challenge.

He had to defend what was right.

And it wasn't an enemy that had thrown him the gauntlet, no, it was his own knight. It was one of the young ones - Arthur recognised him, of course. He had trained with him until he was worthy of his knighthood, and now he was standing against his own king? For one sole reason and that was that he didn't think the idea of Merlin and Arthur together was  _right?_

How could  _love_  ever be wrong?

It's the purest of all emotions, the one that brings people together and keeps them together despite everything, the sheer force behind every happy family, be it the parents, the children or good friends.

And yet the knight dared point at Arthur holding Merlin's hand and call it  _unnatural._

Arthur unsheathed his sword and gripped it tightly with both his hands. He knew Merlin was watching him, and he knew that he was worried, but there was really nothing he could do. Refusing the challenge would solve nothing, and this knight wouldn't stop until he had his own way. He'd made that clear.

Perhaps he counted on the fact that Arthur wouldn't fight his own knight for Merlin, but if that was his belief, then it was wrong. Arthur would fight a thousand armies if it meant saving Merlin, and one knight, whom he had trained himself, was nothing compared to that.

Other knights stepped away, making room for Arthur and the knight who had challenged him, and the fight could begin. The first blow landed and Arthur successfully stopped it with his sword. The knight tried again but it had the same result. Their swords clashed together, their teeth were gritted tight as they fought, and Arthur managed to get the knight on his back on the ground.

"Now, can we-"

The knight kicked Arthur in the shin, making him lose balance and jumped up. He grabbed his sword, but Arthur was already back on his feet, holding his own sword and knocked the sword out of the knight's hand.

The knight found himself unarmed.

"Now," Arthur said, breathing heavily. "Can we end this once and for all?"

The knight frowned at him. "It's wrong! He's your manservant, you shouldn't-"

"But I do!" Arthur told him, his voice strong and loud. "I love him. How can love be wrong? It doesn't matter that he is my manservant or that he's a man, what matters is that he is a good man and that he loves me just as much as I love him. He's more loyal than you are."

"I am loyal!"

Arthur laughed sadly. "This is no loyalty," he explained. "You challenge your own king and yell into his face that you can't accept him for who he is and who he chooses to love! How is that loyalty?" Arthur paused and pursed his lips. He looked at all his loyal and trustworthy men around and sighed. He held out his hand for the knight, who hesitantly took it and stood up. Arthur looked at him sadly. "How can I have you among my knights when you're not loyal to me?"

"You've trained me!" The knight yelled at him. "You know how well I fight! I'm one of your strongest knights!"

Arthur shook his head. "But how can I know that you won't use that strength against me or Merlin rather than to fight alongside me?"

The knight was quiet. He looked behind Arthur, clearly finding Merlin in the crowd and frowned. Then he looked back at Arthur. "If you don't want me . . . then I'll have to find a better king to fight for."

Arthur didn't like this. He didn't like this at all. He didn't want his knights to distrust him this much, he didn't want them to hate him just because of who he happened to fall in love with and have by his side. But if there was no other way to build a safe kingdom for everyone, then so be it. He was going to lose a few people along the way. Not the good ones, hopefully.

The knight walked away and Arthur looked down, breathing heavily and closing his eyes. It was hard to be a king. He still dreamed of having a farm somewhere and living there with Merlin, but those were just dreams. He hoped to shape Camelot into a place that he would love more than that dream, into a better  _home._

"My king," one of the other knights spoke up. When Arthur looked up, he saw that it was Leon who stepped forward. "I have fought alongside you many times and I will always stand by your side."

Arthur nodded in appreciation. "Thank you, Sir Leon."

Lancelot also stepped forward. "I believe in the world that you will build, Arthur, and I will still be here when that future comes."

Elyan was the next to speak. "Even though I was a commoner, a nobody, you were willing to lay down your life for me. I will never forget that and I shall fight by your side until the day I die."

"I know you are a good man, and I fight for what's right." Percival nodded at him with a smile.

Arthur's eyes landed on Gwaine. With a sigh, Gwaine said, "I might or might not sneak a drink into the armoury from time to time, but don't be mistaken - I'll always want to fight with you and for what's right."

A few of the knights laughed, and Arthur couldn't be gladder to be standing there among them, as their king but also as their equal. More and more knights started stepping forward all around him, nodding at him and confirming their loyalty until Merlin himself stepped forward and took Arthur's hand.

"You know what I think," he smiled at him.

"That I'm a dollophead?"

Merlin laughed. "Yes, that."

Arthur laughed with him and as they held hands, they stared at all the knights around them, all of them supportive and loyal, all of them their friends, their family.

And they both realized that some of that future that they were trying to build was already here.

**Author's Note:**

> The next one is better and longer, I promise! It'll be about Merlin being arrested for using magic, but don't worry, there will be a happy ending ;) I hope you liked this one! Thanks for reading! :)


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